Mohammad Reza Aref, the First Vice President, in a meeting of the Supreme Energy Council dedicated to examining scenarios for gas consumption management in various sectors of the country, emphasized the necessity of ensuring sustainable energy for industry and agriculture. In this meeting, attended by various ministers and officials from government organizations, important decisions were made regarding the share of gas consumption from residential, commercial, public, and industrial sectors.
Analysis of Energy Imbalance and Government Actions
Aref pointed to the existing imbalances in the energy sector, especially in the gas domain, and reported a positive trend in reducing these imbalances in recent months. He emphasized that attacks on energy infrastructure in recent wars have caused serious damage to this sector, but with round-the-clock efforts, some of these problems have been mitigated.
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The First Vice President also referred to the government's plans for developing renewable energies, especially solar energy, stating that the President regularly holds meetings to advance these policies. Aref added that ensuring sustainable energy for the public and industries is one of the government's main priorities and urged the public to help maintain the stability of the energy network by conserving gas and electricity.
Challenges of Energy Supply and Government Approach
Aref further noted that to ensure energy for industry and prevent production shutdowns, temporary power outages may be necessary. He stressed that cutting off electricity to industries means halting production and increasing unemployment, which could lead to a decrease in export revenues and loss of regional markets.
The First Vice President mentioned the possibility of calculating the energy consumption of high-consumption households at cost price, saying: "If we have no other choice, the energy of high-consumption households in the last income deciles, especially those with pools or villas, will be calculated at cost price. This will help reduce energy consumption."
Aref also provided a report on the status of the country's gas network, announcing that 250 million cubic meters of gas have been taken out of the network, and the government is working to return 100 million cubic meters of this amount to the network before the cold season begins. He assured the public that with everyone's cooperation, gas cuts in some regions of the country will not occur and urged them to promote a culture of energy consumption management.
In conclusion, Aref called on government managers to pay attention to maintaining the stability of the energy network and ensuring gas supply for production and residential sectors with a comprehensive and joint perspective, and the government must also play its role in this regard.
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